People ask me all the time… How can I grow closer to God and make my relationship with Him the most important? Or they might word it like this… How can I have a deep knowledge of God? Or they will say… I am so busy, and I struggle to find the time and energy to be a spiritual person. What can I do, and how do I do it?

Maybe, you’ve asked the same questions.

I don’t have a quick fix. But I know what has worked for me in my life, and it seems to work for others when I encourage them to do it, too, and then they do it. So let me give you some everyday advice. Not every day, as in it’s common because it is not. But every day, as in this, is something you should do every day if you want to grow closer to God. 

Tell yourself you’ve got to have an open moment with the Lord, and then take that moment. 

  1. Open your schedule and spend a minute to focus your mind on God and who He is, and How much he loves you. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God”. Our struggle is that we are not still enough. Stop, cease what you are doing, and contemplate the creator!
  2. Open your Bible and read for a few moments what God has told you through the scriptures. As you take in each word, focus on listening to what God is saying. Keep your mind free from what you have always thought or what you’ve always been told, and try to read it as if it’s the first time. 
  3. Open your mind to what you have read and think about how this scripture can apply to your own personal life. Ask yourself, what does it mean, and how does it transform my relationship with God, with my family, with myself, and with the church?
  4. Open your notebook, phone, tablet, or computer and jot down a few questions you may have about what you have read. Or write down your thoughts and observations. Take any questions you have and investigate further, maybe even bring them to a friend and study together. 
  5. Open your heart and allow your emotion to express thanksgiving, repentance, praise, love, and or adoration for what you have studied. Express your heart in prayer to God and ask for His strength not just to hear what He has to say but also to do it!

As I said, this is not a quick fix to a deeper relationship with God, but it’s a start. If you were to do this every day for just a few minutes, I know your spiritual life with improve. You will grow. Take a few minutes and have an open moment with the Lord.

~ Alexander Mills